The present embodiments relate to a patient table for a medical radiation therapy system or a radiation diagnosis system. The term radiation includes both particle radiation (i.e. electrons, protons) and high-energy electromagnetic radiation (i.e. x-rays, gamma rays).
A conventional radiation therapy system or radiation diagnosis system includes a patient table that always exhibits an absorption behavior. The radiation intensity is weakened when passing through the patient table because of the absorption behavior. This weakening is generally unwanted and can, particularly in the case of an imaging diagnosis system, have an adverse effect on the image quality. To reduce the radiation absorption, patient tables are formed from a support jacket made of a carbon fiber material. The carbon fiber material encloses a cavity. The cavity is filled with a weakly absorbent foam material.
In a conventional patient table, the strength of the radiation absorption is also dependent on the angle of incidence, at which the radiation hits the bearing surface of the patient table. With a radiation diagnosis method, in particular a tomography method, the angle dependency of the absorption behavior can result in the examination result being impaired. With a radiation therapy method, the angle-dependent radiation absorption of the patient table results in an unwanted local movement of the absorption density in the body tissue of the patient to be treated. In particular, the radiated body region generally moves toward the body surface, thereby resulting in skin irritations or burns.